


Got Heathens A'plenty, Right Here.

by ConniptionCrazy



Series: Bold Damn Heroes [3]
Category: Firefly, Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies), Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Gen, Gettin' the team together, Nobody is having any of Jim's shit, Trust Me Counter: 9, this is really just a lot of set-up if anyone's interested in that kind of thing, un-beta'd
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-04
Updated: 2014-08-04
Packaged: 2018-02-11 19:01:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2079534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ConniptionCrazy/pseuds/ConniptionCrazy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jim's finding himself in need of a mechanic and somebody to fly this thing.</p><p>Leonard continues to be skeptical, until he doesn't.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Got Heathens A'plenty, Right Here.

**Author's Note:**

> Preface this by saying the government in this is the Federation-Alliance. People who work for them are commonly labeled F-A's by Independents or Independent sympathizers, meant to stand for 'Federation-Alliance' and 'Fuck-Alls'. Because 'fuck all' is what they stand for.
> 
> Let's go.

They find Montgomery “Scotty” Scott by advertising (quietly) for “mechanic wanted”. Leonard handled this, because if he’d let Jim do it, they would have ended up broadcasting on every frequency for “mechanic desperately needed,” and Leonard can think of _several_ reasons why that’s a bad idea.

Of course, the man’s coming off of a border planet, so they have to wait a week, which is spent cleaning the _Enterprise_ and gathering funds in any way they can.

As soon as she was clean enough and fit for it, Jim talked Spock and Leonard into picking bunks and moving right in, arguing that it was way cheaper than the string of apartments they’d been living in.

Leonard didn’t know why he was so surprised when he dropped in on Spock’s bunk a day or two after they moved in to see that the man had already taken over and made his bunk “home”.

Leonard had always gotten the sense, even during the war, that Spock was used to the finer things in life. That he enjoyed certain liberties at one time. He was too well educated, had too much dignity to come from a border planet. His room reflected this. Spock draped his room in rich red and gold, had authentic candles and an incense burner set up. He even had some spears, displayed with more artistic purposes in mind than practical ones.

There was a small table and a chessboard off to the side, and everything was neat and had its proper place.

Leonard jokingly commented on how quickly Spock had put it all up, how _hasty_ and _excited_ that seemed, only to receive the stoic reply of,

“It has been a long time since I have had the comfort of sharing a room with no one but myself.”

This being something Leonard well understood, he didn’t say anything else about it.

Jim, on the other hand, had accumulated little more than clutter. A few miscellaneous things Leonard recognized from their “army days,” but nothing truly personal. He hoped that would change over time, for Jim’s sake. For now, Jim’s bunk walls were bare, save for a movie poster and a centerfold of an old motorcycle, and there was barely a path from ladder to toilet to bed through all the clothes on the floor.

There was little to say about Leonard’s bunk. Jim and Spock’s were right next to one another, but Leonard had insisted on quarters closer to the medbay, just in case.

The medbay equipment was rudimentary and cheap, but Leonard was familiar with it. Trusted it. If they could have better stuff, they would, but all the money they could muster was going to have to go into getting the ship in the air before anything else. Leonard’s quarters weren’t much different. Neat, everything had its rightful place, but altogether somewhat lacking and sterile.

Well. Surely he’d fix that.

When Montgomery Scott arrived, he’d taken one look at the _Enterprise_ , at her three inhabitants, and grinned so widely McCoy thought he’d split his head in half.

“Oh, he’s a keeper.” Leonard mumbled before patting Jim on the chest as he took his leave. “I’ll be in my bunk.”

All he knew after that was whatever Scotty had said about the Enterprise’s engines had Jim impressed enough to hire him, and Jim’s word was good enough for Spock, and eventually, it was good enough for Leonard too.

Where Leonard drew the line was when Jim wanted to have pilots. Plural.

“Jim, the ship only needs _one_ .” Leonard growled. “We ain’t even got the money to _pay_ one.”

“The Doctor is correct, Jim. The _Enterprise_ requires only one pilot to operate in top condition.” Spock had one eyebrow quirked. “It would be illogical to hire an extra.”

“Could you not talk about people like they’re spare parts?” Leonard grumbled. “Jim, see _sense_.”

Jim had his determined face on, which was never good for anybody but himself.

“There’s two chairs.” He gestured to both the one he had taken and the empty one. “Only makes sense not to leave one empty. And, look, these guys are geniuses, okay? People are _beggin’_ ‘em to work for them, but they’re interested in _us_.” Jim held out his hands imploringly.

“That’s what has me worried.” Leonard shot back. “They could have any job in the ‘verse, but they want this one. _Why?_ What’re they runnin’ from? What if they’re F-A’s?”

Jim looked to Spock for some back up.

“It… Is possible that you are jumping to conclusions, Doctor.” Spock said at last.

“Oh, great, take his side.” Leonard crossed his arms, scowling.

“Look, I know neither of you like this. But they had the best marks in flight school; you were doubtful ‘bout the ship and you like her. One more chance, c’mon.”

Everyone shut up when there came a knock on the bulkhead. Jim turned his head, the other two turning around. There stood two young men, one taller and clearly Asian, the other shorter, with curly red-brown hair and a square-er face.

“Uh. Sorry if we’re interrupting.” The taller said awkwardly, glancing between the three. “I’m Hikaru Sulu, and this is Pavel Chekov. We’re here to speak with Captain James Kirk? Montgomery Scott let us in, but if we’re in the wrong place-”

Jim jumped up, face lighting up.

“No, no, you’re in the right place. Jim Kirk.” He stuck out his hand, shaking Sulu’s and Chekov’s. “Pleased to meet you, gentlemen. This is my First Officer, Mister Spock,” They reached to shake Spock’s hand, and Jim was obviously amused at the flicker of confusion over their faces when he acted like he didn’t even see their hands. “He doesn’t do the touching thing, don’t worry about it. This is our doc, Doctor Leonard McCoy.”

Leonard scowled but stuck out his hand and shook theirs, if only to show that he was a little better behaved than Spock. Jim clapped his hands.

“So, uh, take a look around, take your time, and if you’re still interested, we can talk contracts.” Jim nodded, flashing a tentative smile.

Sulu nodded, already looking over the console Jim hadn’t been at.

“This is doable.” He was muttering to Chekov, who was peering over his shoulder. “A few modifications-”

“Yes, yes.” Chekov nodded, going to the other console and already exploring her with his hands.

“You can get some real maneuverability out of this boat, you’d be surprised.” Sulu continued, over his shoulder, more to the others.

“So you’ll take the job, then?” Jim couldn’t hide the hope in his voice.

“Ehhhh- maybe.” Chekov answered, glancing at Sulu and then smiling at Spock.

“Awesome. Okay. Uh, well, y’know, make yourself at home. We’ll be nearby.” Spock was already on his way out, and Jim was quick to follow, hesitating only when Leonard didn’t move. “Bones?”

“Wait a minute, kid, how old are you?” Leonard asked, directed at Chekov, brows furrowed, arms crossed.

“Sewenteen, sir.” Chekov smiled brightly.

“Oh, oh, good, he’s seventeen.” Leonard muttered as he passed Jim.

But as it turned out, the two settled right in. Leonard grudgingly admitted to himself that he liked them. They were quiet, for the most part. Chekov sometimes got a little over excited, but Leonard was going to attribute that to the fact that he was _seven-fucking-teen_. They were, at the very least, better about coming to medbay when something was wrong than Spock and Jim, who were more prone to crawling into a dark corner somewhere to metaphorically lick their own wounds.

Spock even warmed up to Chekov, at least- Leonard caught them bent over some kind of mathematical calculations once. Sulu and the captain seemed to have a kind of silent understanding. Leonard had seen it before- the _I am secretly a badass, and I recognize that you, too, are secretly a badass_ nods.

And he had to admit, having six people around the table in the common area, laughing (with the exception of Spock) and trading stories, was so much more pleasant than having only half that. For once, Leonard felt warm and whole when he went to bed, like maybe things were finally looking up. So maybe Jim had been right.

He was _never_ going to tell Jim that.

**Author's Note:**

> Alternate title suggested by my dad when I floundered for help on that bit- "Stop Me If You've Heard This One. (A Scottsman, a Jap, and a Russian Walk Onto a Ship)


End file.
